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She walks toward the front door but pauses. “I wouldn't want that.”
“Wouldn't want what?”
“You to die,” she says before she leaves.
The clock on the wall tells me it's almost 3 am—which means it's time for me to head out.
I pick up my burner phone and call Emilio. “Got something for me?”
“Yup,” he says. “Found him in an alley outside a club on 34th street. He's ready to go when you are.”
“How's the girl?”
He hesitates. “Don't know, she ran off before I had a chance to check.”
“I'll meet you at the warehouse shortly,” I say before I hang up.
I close my eyes and clench my fists as my rage comes to the surface and I begin seething.
I throw a black hoodie over my head and grab a pair of gloves.
I'm not making the same mistake I made last time.
I open the door and take a step back when Lou-Lou's bright brown eyes open wide.
The hand that was about to knock on the door drops and she looks me up and down. “Never mind. This is obviously a bad time.”
She turns on her heels but I reach for her elbow...for once she doesn't flinch.
I almost want to laugh at the irony because if there was ever a time for her to flinch when it comes to me...it's when I'm in this state...on my way to do what it is I'm about to do.
“It's not a bad time. What's up?”
She turns and looks around the hallway. “It's past 12...which means it's the next day.”
“Okay?”
She looks embarrassed. “Well, I've been thinking and I think I want to tell you another truth.” She looks at the pair of gloves I'm still holding. “But if you're busy...”
I take a step back and gesture for her to come in. “I can make time.”
I send a quick text to Emilio and tell him I'm going to be a little later than expected.
She heads to my bedroom and I have to remind my dick that she's off limits.
She plops down on the bed and sits Indian style. “First, I need you to do something for me.”
I already know what she wants. “I'm not going to rat you out to DeLuca.”
“That's not what I was going to ask you,” she says.
A smile touches the corners of her lips and I'm awestruck because it's a genuine smile, not one of her 'fuck you' smiles. “Thank you for not ratting me out, though. It's greatly appreciated.” Her expression turns serious. “And just so you know—I'm not going to tell Tyrone or Jackson who you are. I promise.”
I sit down on the bed beside her and breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Now, what do you need from me? Name it and I'll make it happen.”
She takes a deep breath before replying, “I need you to talk to Tyrone and persuade him to take me out on another date.”
I shake my head because I'm sure I heard her wrong. “What?”
Before she has a chance to say another word I'm on my feet. “I'm not helping you sink your hooks into my friends for DeLuca.”
She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and stares down at the ground. “It's not for Bruno. It's for me.”
I don't like the sudden rush of anger that hits me with those words...and I really don't like that my first reaction to her statement is to find Tyrone and beat the living shit out of him.
And it has absolutely nothing to do with her being my father's girl this time.
I've never been the jealous type when it comes to women...probably because I never cared enough about any of them in the first place.
So the rush of jealousy that's currently working its way through me is bewildering.
I stuff it down and force myself to man the fuck up and face facts.
She's forbidden.
I can't want her...I can't fuck her...and I really can't allow myself to care about this girl.
Doing any of those things will get everyone else I care about killed.
DeLuca wouldn't even bat a fucking eye while he did it, either.
I blow out a breath. “I don't think I can do that, Lou-Lou. I want to help you and work with you but not at the expense of my friends.” I practically choke getting my next words out. ”My father loves you. Really loves you. You're the most important thing in the world to him...even more important than me.”
She squeezes her eyes shut when I say this. “I know.”
She lets out a long sigh. “You're right. Tyrone's a good guy. I don't want to put him on Bruno's radar any more than he already is. I wasn't thinking, I was being selfish.”
“I take it you really like him then?”
And why wouldn't she? Tyrone's a much better man than my father is...a much better man than I am.
She contemplates this for a moment and shrugs. “I don't know. He's nice.”
I give her a look. “Wow, those are some pretty deep feelings for a girl who was about to put a man's life on the line all for a second date.”
“First.”
“Huh?”
Her cheeks flush and all I can think is how adorable it is. This is a side of her I've never seen before.
“That's why I wanted you to have him ask me out again,” she whispers. “I wanted a redo on my first date.”
Now I know I'm hearing things, surely that can't be right. “You've never been on a date before?”
She bites her thumbnail. “You promised you wouldn't judge any of my truths, remember?”
“I'm not judging. I'm just—shocked.”
“Why?”
Because you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life.
“Aren't you going to be like 24 at the end of this month?”
Those big brown eyes shoot fire at me and I know what's coming. Shit, I could have worded that better.
Before she has a chance to tell me off, I say, “I'm sorry. That didn't come out right.” I can't stop myself from uttering my next thought. “I can't believe my father's never taken you on a date before. How long have you guys been together?”
She thinks about this for a moment before answering, “I've been with him for 9 years. Well, that's when I first went to live with him. But we've been technically dating—if you can even call it that, for 6 years.”
My previous anger pales in comparison to the white hot venom I feel right now. “You've been living with him since you were 15!” I scream so loud the windows shake.
She instantly ducks and brings her legs up to shield herself in some kind of defense stance.
My chest tightens and I drop down to my knees in front of her. “I'm sorry. I didn't meant to scare you.” When she lifts her head I add, “And just so there's no confusion, it's not you I'm angry with...it's him.”
She stands up and attempts to push me. “You don't understand!” she screams.
Yeah, I'll say.
“Please don't be angry with him...not for that.” Her voice drops to a whisper. “The day he rescued me was the best day of my life.”
She starts trembling and I don't want to cause her to freak out even more so I relent. “Okay, Lou-Lou. I won't argue with you.”
The trembles diminish and I decide, to press my luck. “Rescue you from what?”
She makes a run for it but I'm quicker than she is and I block the door. She pounds on my chest. “I'm never telling you,” she yells. “I knew it was a mistake to talk to you.”
Shit. One step forward, three steps back.
“I'll stop pushing you about that. Please, don't leave.”
“Don't you have to be somewhere?”
She's right, I do. But—and I never thought I'd say this—this is more important right now.